Tom Peters’ Re-Imagine EXCELLENCE ! The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council Competitiveness Council Port Louis/16 April 2014 (slides at tompeters.com;

Tom Peters’ Re-Imagine EXCELLENCE ! The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council Competitiveness Council Port Louis/16 April 2014 (slides at tompeters.com; also see excellencenow.com)

The 27 BFOs* *Blinding Flash(es) of the Obvious

Part ONE

W.A. Coppins Ltd.

The Magicians of Motueka ! The MITTELSTAND Trifecta ! W.A. Coppins Ltd.* (Coppins Sea Anchors/ PSA/para sea anchors) *Textiles, 1898; thrive on “wicked problems” —e.g., U.S. Navy STLVAST/Small To Large Vehicle At Sea Transfer; custom fabric from W. Wiggins Ltd./Wellington; specialty nylon, “Dyneema,” from DSM /Netherlands

“The greatest satisfaction for management has come not from the financial growth of Camellia itself, but rather from having participated in the vast improvement in the living and working conditions of its employees, resulting from the investment of many tens of millions of pounds into the tea gardens’ infrastructure of roads, factories, hospitals, employees’ housing and amenities. … Within the Camellia Group there is a strong aesthetic dimension, an intention that it should comprise companies and assets of the highest quality, operating from inspiring offices and manufacturing in state of the art facilities. … Above all, there is a deep concern for the welfare of each employee. This arises not only from a sense of humanity, but also from the conviction that the loyalty of a secure and enthusiastic employee will in the long-term prove to be an invaluable company asset.” — Camellia: A Very Different Company [$600M/$160M/$100M]

Going “Social”/Location and Size Independent: Rise of the … MICRO-MULTINATIONAL “Today, despite the fact that we’re just a little swimming pool company in Virginia, we have the most trafficked swimming pool website in the world. Five years ago, if you’d asked me and my business partners what we do, the answer would have been simple, ‘We build in-ground fiberglass swimming pools’ Now we say, ‘We are the best teachers … in the world … on the subject of fiberglass swimming pools, and we also happen to build them.’” —Jay Baer, Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is About Help, Not Hype

Big 16 Yawn. (NOT.) Big 16 Yawn. (NOT.) PASSIONATE about the business CLEAR/DIFFERENTIATING value proposition TURNKEY SERVICE focus (even for manufacturers) ALWAYS innovating Close to the customer (CUSTOMER INTIMACY) Execution MANIACS Subs execution MANIACS COMMUNITY engagement Employee SELECTION Employee TRAINING/DEVELOPMENT Employee INVOLVEMENT/BRAND RESPONSIBILITY Exciting/Soaring VALUES/CULTURE MANAGED growth BORING businesses (mostly) Family managed (But … HYPER-PROFESSIONAL) EXCELLENCE!

“During her early days at Mayo Clinic, Mary Ann Morris was working in a laboratory—a job that required her to wear a white uniform and white shoes. And after a frantic morning getting her two small children to school, she arrived at work to find her supervisor staring at her shoes. The supervisor had noticed that the laces were dirty where they threaded through the islets of the shoes and asked Mary to clean them. Offended, she said she worked in a laboratory, not with patients, so why should it matter? Her supervisor replied that Morris had contact with patients in ways she didn’t recognize—going out on the street wearing her Mayo nametag, for instance, or passing by patients and their families as she walked through the halls—and that she couldn’t represent Mayo Clinic with dirty shoelaces. ‘Though I was initially offended, I realized over time, everything I do, down to my shoelaces, represents my commitment to our patients and visitors; I still use the dirty shoelace story to set the standard for the service level I aspire to for myself and my co-workers.’” —Leonard Berry & Kent Seltman, “Orchestrating the Clues of Quality,” Chapter 7 from Management Lessons From Mayo Clinic

Michael Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed’: THE THREE RULES: How Exceptional Companies Think*: 1. Better before cheaper. 2. Revenue before cost. 3. There are no other rules. (*From a database of over 25,000 companies from hundreds of industries covering 45 years, they uncovered 344 companies that qualified as statistically “exceptional.”) Jeff Colvin, Fortune: “The Economy Is Scary … But Smart Companies Can Dominate”: They manage for value—not for EPS. They keep developing human capital. They get radically customer-centric.

Definition of a “BIG Company”?

Over-rated* * “Gurugate”/“Gurus” ignore about 100% of the time Over-rated* Big companies! Public companies! “Cool” industries! Famous CEOs! Men! (more later) * “Gurugate”/“Gurus” ignore about 100% of the time

REALLY First Things Before First Things

1/ The ONE Secret !

If the regimental commander lost most of his 2nd lieutenants and 1st lieutenants and captains and majors, it would be a tragedy. If he lost his sergeants it would be a catastrophe. The Army and the Navy are fully aware that success on the battlefield is dependent to an extraordinary degree on its Sergeants and Chief Petty Officers. Does industry have the same awareness?

Is there ONE “secret” to productivity and employee satisfaction? YES! The Quality of your Full Cadre of … 1st-line Leaders.

“People leave managers not companies.” —Dave Wheeler

2/ Training As Investment #1

Training [OBVIOUSLY!] #1 : Police. Fire. Military. Opera. Symphony. Theater. Sports. BUT … in most businesses, it's “ho hum” mid-level staff function.

Gamblin’ Man Gamblin’ Man Bet: >> 5 of 10 CEOs see training as expense rather than investment. Bet: >> 5 of 10 CEOs see training as defense rather than offense. Bet: >> 5 of 10 CEOs see training as “necessary evil” rather than “strategic opportunity.” Bet: >> 8 of 10 CEOs, in 45-min “tour d’horizon” of their business, would not mention training.

“G-E-N-I-U-S” Getting more and more cantankerous (short tempered!) about this: Job #1 (& #2 & #3) about this: Job #1 (& #2 & #3) is to abet peoples' personal growth. All other good things flow there from. My idea of a gen-u-ine "genius“ "breakthrough" idea: If you work your heart out to help people grow, they'll work their hearts out "breakthrough" idea: If you work your heart out to help people grow, they'll work their hearts out to give customers a great experience. to give customers a great experience.

Should be able to get immediate answer upon stopping anyone and asking, “What have you learned today?”

“The role of the Director is to create a space where the actors and actresses can become more than they’ve ever been before, more than they’ve dreamed of being.” more than they’ve dreamed of being.” —Robert Altman, Oscar acceptance speech

3/ Education As Priority #1

G enetics R obotics I nformatics N anotechnology* *Decision #1 : GRIN and BEAR it? GRIN and SAVOR it?

RACE AGAINST THE MACHINE

China too /Foxconn: 1,000,000 robots in next 3 years 1,000,000 robots in next 3 years Source: Race AGAINST the Machine, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee

“Meet Your Next Surgeon: Dr. Robot” Source: Feature/Fortune/15 JAN 2013/on Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci /multiple bypass heart-surgery robot da Vinci /multiple bypass heart-surgery robot (“Almost all health care people get is going to be done by algorithms within a decade or two.” —Michael Vassar/MetaMed )

“The combination of new market rules and new technology was turning the stock market into, in effect, a war of robots.” —Michael Lewis, “Goldman’s Geek Tragedy,” Vanity Fair, 09.13

“Automation has become so sophisticated that on a typical passenger flight, a human pilot holds the controls for a grand total of … 3 minutes. [Pilots] have become, it’s not much of an exaggeration to say, computer operators.” —Nicholas Carr, The Atlantic, 11.13 … 3 minutes. [Pilots] have become, it’s not much of an exaggeration to say, computer operators.” —Nicholas Carr, The Atlantic, 11.13

“Human level capability has not turned out to be a special stopping point from an engineering perspective. ….” Source: Illah Reza Nourbakhsh, Professor of Robotics, Carnegie Mellon, Robot Futures

“The root of our problem is not that we’re in a Great Recession that we’re in a Great Recession or a Great Stagnation, but rather or a Great Stagnation, but rather that we are in the early that we are in the early throes of a. Our technologies are racing ahead, throes of a Great Restructuring. Our technologies are racing ahead, but our skills and organizations but our skills and organizations are lagging behind.” are lagging behind.” Source: Race AGAINST the Machine, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee

THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST

The very best and the very brightest and the most energetic and enthusiastic and entrepreneurial and tech- savvy of our university graduates must—must, not should—be lured into teaching! into teaching!

“Every child is born an artist. The trick is to remain an artist.” —Picasso “All human beings are entrepreneurs.” —Muhammad Yunus “Human creativity is the ultimate economic resource.” —Richard Florida "Creativity can no longer be treated as an elective.” —John Maeda

RADICAL curricular revision imperative. (STEM/STE A M.) RADICAL digital strategy. REVOLUTIONARY new approach to teacher recruitment/development. RADICAL re-assessment of tertiary education (E.g., “MOOC-ization.”) RADICAL re-assessment business ed. RADICAL role re-assessment by corporations. (Good news: Nobody’s got it right. Kids are doing it without you—if you’ll let them.)

A 15-Point Human Capital Asset Development Manifesto Human Capital Asset Development Manifesto World Strategy Forum/ The New Rules: Reframing Capitalism Tom Peters/Seoul/0615.12

A 15-Point Human Capital Development Manifesto A 15-Point Human Capital Development Manifesto 1. “Corporate social responsibility” starts at home—i.e., inside the enterprise! MAXIMIZING GDD/Gross Domestic Development of the workforce is the primary source of mid-term and beyond growth and profitability—and maximizes national productivity and wealth. (Re profitability: If you want to serve the customer with uniform Excellence, then you must FIRST effectively and faithfully serve those who serve the customer—i.e. our employees, via maximizing tools and professional development.)

2. Regardless of the transient external situation, development of “human capital” is always the #1 priority. This is true in general, in particular in difficult times which demand resilience—and uniquely true in this age in which IMAGINATIVE brainwork is de facto the only plausible survival strategy for higher wage nations. (Generic “brainwork,” traditional and dominant “white- collar activities, is increasingly being performed by exponentially enhanced artificial intelligence.)

“If I had to pick one failing of CEOs …

“If I had to pick one failing of CEOs, it’s that they don’t read enough.” — Co-founder of one of the world’s largest and most successful investment services firms (November 2013)

5/ 1 Mouth, 2 Ears

“The doctor interrupts after …* after …* *Source: Jerome Groopman, How Doctors Think

18 …

18 … seconds!

[An obsession with] Listening is... the ultimate mark of Respect. of Respect. Listening is... the heart and soul of Engagement. Listening is... the heart and soul of Kindness. Listening is... the heart and soul of Thoughtfulness. Listening is... the basis for true Collaboration. Listening is... the basis for true Partnership. Listening is... a Team Sport. Listening is... a Developable Individual Skill.* (*Though women are far better at it than men.) are far better at it than men.) Listening is... the basis for Community. Listening is... the bedrock of Joint Ventures that work. Listening is... the bedrock of Joint Ventures that grow. Listening is... the core of effective Cross-functional Communication* (*Which is in turn Attribute #1 of Communication* (*Which is in turn Attribute #1 of organization effectiveness.) organization effectiveness.)[cont.]

*Listening is of the utmost … importance! *Listening is a proper … ! *Listening is … ! *Listening is a … ! *Listening is of the utmost … STRATEGIC importance! *Listening is a proper … CORE VALUE ! *Listening is … TRAINABLE ! *Listening is a … PROFESSION !

Suggested addition to your statement of Core Values: “We are Effective Listeners—we treat Listening EXCELLENCE as the Centerpiece of our Commitment to Respect and Engagement and Community and Growth.”

6/ Conrad Hilton …

CONRAD HILTON, at a gala celebrating his career, was called to the podium and asked, His answer … CONRAD HILTON, at a gala celebrating his career, was called to the podium and asked, “What were the most important lessons you learned in your long and distinguished career?” His answer …

“ Remember to tuck the shower curtain inside the bathtub.”

“Amateurs talk about strategy. Professionals talk about logistics.” —General Omar Bradley

7/ Mr. Clay’s Mantra

Conveyance: Kingfisher Air Location: Approach to New Delhi

“May I clean your glasses, sir?”

“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” “Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” —Henry Clay, American Statesman (1777-1852)

Press Ganey Assoc.: 139,380 former patients from 225 hospitals: NONE of THE top 15 factors determining P atient S atisfaction referred to patient’s health outcome. Instead: directly related to Staff Interaction; directly correlated with Employee Satisfaction Source: Putting Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin, Patrick Charmel

There is a misconception that supportive interactions require more staff or more time and are therefore more costly. Although labor costs are a substantial part of any hospital budget, the interactions themselves add nothing to the budget. KINDNESS IS FREE. Listening to patients or answering their questions costs nothing. It can be argued that negative interactions—alienating patients, being non- responsive to their needs or limiting their sense of control— can be very costly. … Angry, frustrated or frightened patients may be combative, withdrawn and less cooperative—requiring far more time than it would have taken to interact with them initially in a positive way.” —Putting Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin, Patrick Charmel (Griffin Hospital/Derby CT; Planetree Alliance) “There is a misconception that supportive interactions require more staff or more time and are therefore more costly. Although labor costs are a substantial part of any hospital budget, the interactions themselves add nothing to the budget. KINDNESS IS FREE. Listening to patients or answering their questions costs nothing. It can be argued that negative interactions—alienating patients, being non- responsive to their needs or limiting their sense of control— can be very costly. … Angry, frustrated or frightened patients may be combative, withdrawn and less cooperative—requiring far more time than it would have taken to interact with them initially in a positive way.” —Putting Patients First, Susan Frampton, Laura Gilpin, Patrick Charmel (Griffin Hospital/Derby CT; Planetree Alliance)

K = R = P

Kindness = Kindness = Repeat Business = Profit. Profit.

Winning in Marketplace 2013: An Ethos of Helping ZMOT: ZERO Moment Of Truth/Google* “You know what a ‘moment of truth’ is. It’s when a prospective customer decides either to take the next step in the purchase funnel, or to exit and seek other options. … But what is a ‘zero moment of truth’? Many behaviors can serve as a zero moment of truth, but what binds them together is that the purchase is being researched and considered before the prospect even enters the classic sales funnel … In its research, Google found that 84% of shoppers said the new mental model, ZMOT, shapes their decisions. …” —Jay Baer, Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is About Help, Not Hype *See www.zeromomentoftruth.com for ZMOT in booklength format

Social Survival Manifesto Social Survival Manifesto 1. Hiding is not an option. 2. Face it, you are outnumbered. (“level playing field, arrogance denied”) 3. You no longer control the message. 4. Try acting like … a human being. 5. Learn to listen, or else. (“REALLY listening to others a must”) 6. Admit that you don’t have all the answers. 7. Speak plainly and seek to inform. 8. Quit being a monolith. (“Your employees, speaking online as individuals, are a crucial resource … can be managed through frameworks that ENCOURAGE participation”) 9. Try being less evil. 10. Pay it forward, now. (“Internet culture largely built on the principal of the Gift Economy … give value away to your online communities”) Source: Tom Liacas; socialdisruptions.com

Part TWO

Excellence

Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics” Excellence1982: The Bedrock “Eight Basics” 1. A Bias for Action 2. Close to the Customer 3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity Through People 5. Hands On, Value-Driven 6. Stick to the Knitting 7. Simple Form, Lean Staff 8. Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties Properties

“Breakthrough” 82* People! People!Customers!Action! Values ! *In Search of Excellence

“Why in the world did you go to Siberia ?” go to Siberia ?”

Enterprise* (*at its best): An emotional, vital, innovative, joyful, creative, entrepreneurial endeavor that elicits maximum concerted human concerted human potential in the potential in the wholehearted pursuit of EXCELLENCE in wholehearted pursuit of EXCELLENCE in service of others **Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners service of others.** **Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Communities, Owners, Temporary partners

“Of Service”

ORGANIZATIONS EXIST TO SERVE. PERIOD. LEADERS LIVE TO SERVE. PERIOD. SERVE. PERIOD.

In Good Business, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi argues persuasively that business has become the center of society. As such, an obligation to community is front & center. Business as societal bedrock, has the RESPONSIBILITY to increase the “SUM OF HUMAN WELL-BEING.” Business is NOT "part of the community." In terms of how adults collectively spend their waking hours … business IS the community. And should act accordingly. The (REALLY) good news: Community mindedness is a great way [the BEST way?] to have spirited/committed/customer-centric work force—and, ultimately, increase [maximize?] profitability!

Leadership LeadershipAxioms* *NOT OPTIONAL

M anaging B y W andering A round

“Most managers spend a great deal of time thinking about what they plan to do, but relatively little time thinking about what they plan not to do. As a result, they become so caught up … in fighting the fires of the moment that they cannot really attend to the long-term threats and risks facing the organization. So the first soft skill of leadership the hard way is to cultivate the perspective of Marcus Aurelius: avoid busyness, free up your time, stay focused on what really matters. Let me put it bluntly: every leader should routinely keep a substantial portion of his or her time—I would say as much as 50 percent—unscheduled. … Only when you have substantial ‘slop’ in your schedule—unscheduled time—will you have the space to reflect on what you are doing, learn from experience, and recover from your inevitable mistakes. Leaders without such free time end up tackling issues only when there is an immediate or visible problem. Managers’ typical response to my argument about free time is, ‘That’s all well and good, but there are things I have to do.’ Yet we waste so much time in unproductive activity—it takes an enormous effort on the part of the leader to keep free time for the truly important things.” — Dov Frohman (& Robert Howard), Leadership The Hard Way: Why Leadership Can’t Be Taught— And How You Can Learn It Anyway (Chapter 5, “The Soft Skills Of Hard Leadership”)

MBWA 4 MBWA 8 MBWA 12

“The 4 most important words in any organization are …

THE FOUR MOST IMPORTANT WORDS IN ANY ORGANIZATION ARE … “WHAT DO YOU THINK?” ARE … “WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Source: courtesy Dave Wheeler, posted at tompeters.com

MBWA 8: Change the World With EIGHT Words What do you think?* How can I help?** *Dave Wheeler: “What are the four most important words in the boss’ lexicon?” **Boss as CHRO/Chief Hurdle Removal Officer **********************************

MBWA 12: Change the World With TWELVE Words What do you think?* How can I help?** What have you learned?*** *Dave Wheeler: “What are the four most important words in the boss’ lexicon?” **Boss as CHRO/Chief Hurdle Removal Officer ********************************** ***What [new thing] have you learned [in the last 24 hours]? ********************* *

You = Your calendar/ Your calendar NEVER lies.

“If there is any one ‘secret’ to effectiveness, it is concentration. Effective executives do first things first … and they do one thing at a time.” —Peter Drucker

Self- Evaluation.

“Being aware of yourself and how you affect everyone around you is what distinguishes a superior leader.” —Edie Seashore (Strategy + Business #45)

“How can a high-level leader like _____ be so out of touch with the truth about himself? It’s more common than you would imagine. The problem is an acute lack of feedback [especially on people issues].” —Daniel Goleman (et al.), The New Leaders “How can a high-level leader like _____ be so out of touch with the truth about himself? It’s more common than you would imagine. In fact, the higher up the ladder a leader climbs, the less accurate his self-assessment is likely to be. The problem is an acute lack of feedback [especially on people issues].” —Daniel Goleman (et al.), The New Leaders

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself" - Leo Tolstoy

Acknowledgement.

“The deepest principal in human nature is the craving* to be appreciated.” —William James *“Craving,” not “wish” or “desire” or “longing”/Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (“The BIG Secret of Dealing With People”)

“Employees who don't feel significant rarely make significant contributions.” —Mark Sanborn

Responsiveness/Apology/ “I’m sorry!”

THE PROBLEM IS RARELY/NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM INVARIABLY ENDS UP BEING THE REAL PROBLEM THE PROBLEM IS RARELY/NEVER THE PROBLEM. THE RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM INVARIABLY ENDS UP BEING THE REAL PROBLEM.* *PERCEPTION IS ALL THERE IS!

THERE ONCE WAS A TIME WHEN A THREE-MINUTE PHONE CALL WOULD HAVE AVOIDED SETTING OFF THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL THAT RESULTED IN A COMPLETE RUPTURE.* Relationships (of all varieties) : THERE ONCE WAS A TIME WHEN A THREE-MINUTE PHONE CALL WOULD HAVE AVOIDED SETTING OFF THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL THAT RESULTED IN A COMPLETE RUPTURE.* *divorce, loss of a BILLION $$$ aircraft sale, etc., etc.

“I regard apologizing as the most magical, healing, restorative gesture human beings can make. It is the centerpiece of my work with executives who want to get better.” —Marshall Goldsmith, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.

People First ! People Second ! People Third ! People Fourth ! People Fifth ! People Sixth!

1/4,096 : excellencenow.com “Business has to give people enriching, rewarding lives …

“Business has to give people enriching, rewarding lives … or it's simply not worth doing.” —Richard Branson

“In a world where customers wake up every morning asking, ‘What’s up every morning asking, ‘What’s new, what’s different, what’s amazing?’ … success depends on a company’s ability to unleash initiative, imagination and passion of employees at all levels —and this can only happen if all those folks are connected heart and soul to their work [their ‘calling’], their company and their mission.” —John Mackey and Raj Sisoda,Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business —John Mackey and Raj Sisoda, Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business

“Contrary to conventional corporate thinking, treating retail workers much better may make everyone (including their employers) much richer.” —New York Times/ 01.05.14, Adam Davidson, Planet Money/NPR (Cited in particular, “The Good Jobs Strategy,” by M.I.T. professor Zeynep Ton)

Wegmans (was #1 in USA) Container Store (was #1 in USA) Whole Foods CostcoPublix Darden Restaurants Build-A-Bear Workshops Starbucks

“You have to treat your employees like customers.” —Herb Kelleher, upon being asked his “secret to success” Source: Joe Nocera, NYT, “Parting Words of an Airline Pioneer,” on the occasion of Herb Kelleher’s retirement after 37 years at Southwest Airlines (SWA’s pilots union took out a full-page ad in USA Today thanking HK for all he had done) ; across the way in Dallas, American Airlines’ pilots were picketing AA’s Annual Meeting)

“An organization can only become the-best-version-of- itself to the extent that the people who drive that organization are striving to become better-versions-of- themselves.” “A company’s purpose is to become the- best-version-of-itself. The question is: What is an employee’s purpose? Most would say, ‘to help the company achieve its purpose’—but they would be wrong. That is certainly part of the employee’s role, but an employee’s primary purpose is to become the-best-version of-himself or –herself. … “When a company forgets that it exists to serve customers, it quickly goes out of business. Our employees are our first customers, and our most important customers.” —Matthew Kelly, The Dream Manager

"When I hire someone, that's when … I go to work for them.” —John DiJulius, "What's the Secret to Providing a World-class Customer Experience"

“The path to a HOSTMANSHI P culture paradoxically does not go through the guest. In fact it wouldn’t be totally wrong to say that the guest has nothing to do with it. True hostmanship leaders focus on their employees. What drives exceptionalism is finding the right people and getting them to love their work and see it as a passion.... The guest comes into the picture only when you are ready to ask, ‘Would you prefer to stay at a hotel where the staff love their work or where management has made customers its highest priority?’” “We went through the hotel and made a... ‘consideration renovation.’ Instead of redoing bathrooms, dining rooms, and guest rooms, we gave employees new uniforms, bought flowers and fruit, and changed colors. Our focus was totally on the staff. They were the ones we wanted to make happy. We wanted them to wake up every morning excited about a new day at work.” —Jan Gunnarsson and Olle Blohm, Hostmanship: The Art of Making People Feel Welcome Hostmanship: The Art of Making People Feel Welcome

"If you want staff to give great service, give great service to staff." "If you want staff to give great service, give great service to staff." —Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman's

EXCELLENT customer experience depends … entirely … on EXCELLENT on EXCELLENT employee experience! If you want to WOW your customers, FIRST you must WOW those who must WOW those who WOW the customers! WOW the customers!

TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE TALENT; TO APPLY THAT TALENT, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, FOR THE BENEFIT OF CLIENTS; TO DO SO IN PARTNERSHIP; TO DO SO WITH PROFIT. Our Mission TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE TALENT; TO APPLY THAT TALENT, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, FOR THE BENEFIT OF CLIENTS; TO DO SO IN PARTNERSHIP; TO DO SO WITH PROFIT. WPP

Oath of Office: Managers/Servant Leaders Oath of Office: Managers/Servant Leaders Our goal is to serve our customers brilliantly and profitably over the long haul. the long haul. Serving our customers brilliantly and profitably over the long haul is a product of brilliantly serving, over the long haul, the haul is a product of brilliantly serving, over the long haul, the people who serve the customer. people who serve the customer. Hence, our job as leaders—the alpha and the omega and everything in between—is abetting the sustained growth everything in between—is abetting the sustained growth and success and engagement and enthusiasm and and success and engagement and enthusiasm and commitment to Excellence of those, one at a time, who commitment to Excellence of those, one at a time, who directly or indirectly serve the ultimate customer. directly or indirectly serve the ultimate customer. We—leaders of every stripe—are in the “Human Growth and Development and Success and Aspiration to Excellence Development and Success and Aspiration to Excellence business.” business.” “We” [leaders] only grow when “they” [each and every one of our colleagues] are growing. growing. “We” [leaders] only succeed when “they” [each and every one of our colleagues] are succeeding. are succeeding. “We” [leaders] only energetically march toward Excellence when “they” [each and every one of our colleagues] are energetically marching “they” [each and every one of our colleagues] are energetically marching toward Excellence. toward Excellence.Period.

Tom’s TIB* #1: Your principal moral obligation as a leader is to develop the skillset, “soft” and “hard,” of every one of the people in your charge (temporary as well as semi-permanent) to the maximum extent of your abilities. The good news: This is also the #1 mid- to long-term … profit maximization strategy ! * This I Believe (courtesy Bill Caudill)

The Memories That Matter The Memories That Matter The people you developed who went on to stellar accomplishments inside or outside stellar accomplishments inside or outside the company. the company. The (no more than) two or three people you developed who went on to create stellar institutions of their own. create stellar institutions of their own. The long shots (people with “a certain something”) you bet on who surprised themselves—and your peers. surprised themselves—and your peers. The people of all stripes who 2/5/10/20 years later say “You made a difference in my life,” later say “You made a difference in my life,” “Your belief in me changed everything.” “Your belief in me changed everything.” The sort of/character of people you hired in general. (And the bad apples you chucked out despite some stellar traits.) apples you chucked out despite some stellar traits.) A handful of projects (a half dozen at most) you doggedly pursued that still make you smile and which fundamentally changed the way still make you smile and which fundamentally changed the way things are done inside or outside the company/industry. things are done inside or outside the company/industry. The supercharged camaraderie of a handful of Great Teams aiming to The supercharged camaraderie of a handful of Great Teams aiming to “change the world.” “change the world.”

2/year = Legacy.

Promotion Decisions “life and death decisions” Source: Peter Drucker, The Practice of Management

Evaluation.

EVALUATING PEOPLE = #1 DIFFERENTIATOR Source: Jack Welch, now Jeff Immelt on GE’s top strategic skill ( !!!! )

53 = 53

People are NOT “Standardized.” Their evaluations should NOT be standardized. EVER.

Hiring.

“ development can help great people be even better— but if I had a dollar to spend, I’d spend 70 cents getting the right person in the door.” — Paul Russell, Director, Leadership and Development, Google

“In short, hiring is the most important aspect of business and yet remains woefully misunderstood. ” “In short, hiring is the most important aspect of business and yet remains woefully misunderstood. ” Source: Wall Street Journal, 10.29.08, review of Who: The A Method for Hiring, review of Who: The A Method for Hiring, Geoff Smart and Randy Street

Part THREE

Innovate or Die

Lesson48: WTTMTW

WHOEVERTRIESTHEMOSTTHINGSWINS

READY. FIRE ! AIM. H. Ross Perot (vs “Aim! Aim! Aim!” /EDS vs GM/1985)

“We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were omissions we didn’t think of when we initially wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it over and over, again and again. We do the same today. While our competitors are still sucking their thumbs trying to make the design perfect, we’re already on prototype version # 5. By the time our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we are on version #10. It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to plan—for months.” —Bloomberg by Bloomberg

“FAIL. FORWARD. FAST.” “FAIL. FORWARD. FAST.” High Tech CEO, Pennsylvania

We Are What We Eat We Are What We Eat

“You will become like the five people you associate with the most—this can be either a blessing or a curse.” —Billy Cox “You will become like the five people you associate with the most—this can be either a blessing or a curse.” —Billy Cox

The “We are what we eat”/ “We are who we hang out with” Axiom: At its core, every (!!!) relationship-partnership decision (employee, vendor, customer, etc., etc.) is a strategic decision about: “Innovate, ‘Yes’ or ” The “We are what we eat”/ “We are who we hang out with” Axiom: At its core, every (!!!) relationship-partnership decision (employee, vendor, customer, etc., etc.) is a strategic decision about: “Innovate, ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ ”

WE ARE THE COMPANY WE KEEP! WE KEEP! MANAGE IT!

“The Billion-man Research Team: Companies offering work to online communities are reaping the benefits of ‘crowdsourcing.’” —Headline, FT

The Bottleneck … “The Bottleneck …

The Bottleneck is at the … “Where are you likely to find people with the least diversity of experience, the largest investment in the past, and the greatest reverence for industry dogma … Top of the Bottle” — Gary Hamel/Harvard Business Review “ The Bottleneck is at the … “Where are you likely to find people with the least diversity of experience, the largest investment in the past, and the greatest reverence for industry dogma … Top of the Bottle” — Gary Hamel/Harvard Business Review

“Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met in the last 90 days? How do I get in touch with them?” —Fred Smith

Vanity Fair: “What is your most marked characteristic?” Mike Bloomberg: “Curiosity.” “Curiosity.”

“ Do one thing every day that scares you.” “ Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

Innovate or Die

Innovation Index: Top 5 8 or higher “Weird”/“Profound”/ “Wow”/“Game-changer” Innovation Index: How many of your Top 5 Strategic Initiatives/Key Projects score 8 or higher [out of 10] on a “Weird”/“Profound”/ “Wow”/“Game-changer” Scale?

Value Added

LITTLE = BIG

Big carts = 1.5X 1.5X Source: Walmart

2X: “When Friedman slightly curved the right angle of an entrance corridor to one property, he was ‘amazed at the magnitude of change in pedestrians’ behavior’—the percentage who entered increased from one- third to nearly two-thirds.” —Natasha Dow Schull, Addiction By Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas

(1) Amenable to rapid experimentation/ experimentation/ failure “free” (PR, $$) failure “free” (PR, $$) (2) Quick to implement/ Quick to Roll out Quick to Roll out (3) Inexpensive to implement/Roll out implement/Roll out (4) Huge multiplier (5) An “Attitude”

Customers describing their service experience as “superior”: 8 % Companies describing the service experience they provide as the service experience they provide as “superior”: 80% “superior”: 80% —Source: Bain & Company survey of 362 companies, reported in John DiJulius, What's the Secret to Providing a World-class Customer Experience?

It BEGINS (and ENDS ) in the …

PARKING LOT* *Disney

“May I clean your glasses, sir?”

TGR [Things Gone -Things Gone RIGHT ] TGR [Things Gone WRONG -Things Gone RIGHT ]

TGR S. MANAGE ’EM. MEASURE ’EM.* *I use “manage-measure” a lot. Translation: These are NOT “soft” ideas; they are exceedingly important are NOT “soft” ideas; they are exceedingly important things that can be managed—AND measured. things that can be managed—AND measured.

“Experiences are as distinct from services as services are from goods.” —Joe Pine & Jim Gilmore, The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage

C X O* *Chief e X perience Officer

DESIGN ! DESIGN !

Design Rules! APPLE market cap > ExxonMobil’s* *August 2011

“ We don’t have a good language to talk about this kind of thing. In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. … But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. DESIGN IS THE FUNDAMENTAL SOUL OF A MAN-MADE CREATION.” —Steve Jobs

“You know a design is good when you want to lick it.” —Steve Jobs Source: Design: Intelligence Made Visible, Stephen Bayley & Terence Conran Stephen Bayley & Terence Conran

“Design is treated like a religion at BMW.” —Fortune

“With its carefully conceived mix of colors, textures, aromas and music, STARBUCKS is more indicative of our era than the iMac. It is to the Age of Aesthetics what McDonald’s was to the Age of Convenience or Ford was to the Age of Mass Production—the touchstone success story, the exemplar of … the aesthetic imperative. … ‘Every Starbucks store is carefully designed to enhance the quality of everything the customers see, touch, hear, smell or taste,’ writes CEO Howard Schultz.” “With its carefully conceived mix of colors, textures, aromas and music, STARBUCKS is more indicative of our era than the iMac. It is to the Age of Aesthetics what McDonald’s was to the Age of Convenience or Ford was to the Age of Mass Production—the touchstone success story, the exemplar of … the aesthetic imperative. … ‘Every Starbucks store is carefully designed to enhance the quality of everything the customers see, touch, hear, smell or taste,’ writes CEO Howard Schultz.” —Virginia Postrel, The Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture and Consciousness

“Consider this telling remark by Robert Egger, the chief designer of SPECIALIZED BICYCLES. Egger calls ‘taste’ the ‘elusive sweet spot between data truth and human truth. … ‘ If you don’t have an emotionally engaging design, no one will care.’ The ‘hard edge’ and ‘strategic base’ are indeed in order—but they amount to little more than a piffle without the more or less sustainable differentiation contributed by the ‘soft edge.’” —Rich Karlgaard, The Soft Edge by the ‘soft edge.’” —Rich Karlgaard, The Soft Edge

”Hard” Products. Services. Big Businesses. Small businesses. Individuals All equal when it comes to the … STAGGERING POWER OF DESIGN. Period.

“Hard” Products. Services. Big Businesses. Small businesses. Individuals All equal when it comes to the … STAGGERING POWER OF DESIGN. Period.

Hypothesis: DESIGN is the principal difference between love and hate!* Hypothesis: DESIGN is the principal difference between love and hate!* *Not “like” and “dislike”

C D O* *Chief D esign Officer

Hypothesis: Men cannot design for women’s needs !!??

Women BUY Women RULE Women ROAR

“ I speak to you with a feminine voice. It’s the voice of democracy, of equality. I am certain, ladies and gentlemen, THAT THIS WILL BE THE WOMAN’S CENTURY. In the Portuguese language, words such as life, soul, and hope are of the feminine gender, as are other words like courage and sincerity.” “ I speak to you with a feminine voice. It’s the voice of democracy, of equality. I am certain, ladies and gentlemen, THAT THIS WILL BE THE WOMAN’S CENTURY. In the Portuguese language, words such as life, soul, and hope are of the feminine gender, as are other words like courage and sincerity.” —President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, 1st woman to keynote the United Nations General Assembly (2011) the United Nations General Assembly (2011)

“Forget CHINA, INDIA and the INTERNET: Economic Growth Is Driven by WOMEN.” Source: Headline, Economist

W > 2X (C + I)* *“Women now drive the global economy. Globally, they control about $20 trillion in consumer spending, and that figure could climb as high as $28 trillion in the next five years. Their $13 trillion in total yearly earnings could reach $18 trillion in the same period. In aggregate, women represent a growth market bigger than China and India combined—more than twice as big in fact. Given those numbers, it would be foolish to ignore or underestimate the female consumer. And yet many companies do just that—even ones that are confidant that they have a winning strategy when it comes to women. Consider Dell’s …” Source: Michael Silverstein and Kate Sayre, “The Female Economy,” HBR, 09.09

“Women are THE majority market” —Fara Warner/The Power of the Purse

“AS LEADERS, WOMEN RULE: New Studies find that female managers outshine their male counterparts in almost every measure” TITLE/ Special Report/ BusinessWeek

“Research suggests that to succeed, start by promoting women.” to succeed, start by promoting women.” “ McKinsey & Company found that the international companies with more women on their corporate boards far outperformed the average company in return boards far outperformed the average company in return on equity and other measures. on equity and other measures. Operating profit was 56% higher.” Source: Nicholas Kristof, “Twitter, Women, and Power,” NYTimes, 1024.13

And the Winners Are … the Winners Are …

Big STINKS: Mid-size Superstars/The Masters of Frankenmuth

I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs seeking escape from life within huge corporate structures, The answer seems obvious … “I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs seeking escape from life within huge corporate structures, ‘How do I build a small firm for myself?’ The answer seems obvious … Source: Paul Ormerod, Why Most Things Fail: Evolution, Extinction and Economics

Buy a very large one and just wait.” “I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs seeking escape from life within huge corporate structures, ‘How do I build a small firm for myself?’ The answer seems obvious: Buy a very large one and just wait.” —Paul Ormerod, Why Most Things Fail: Evolution, Extinction and Economics

“Mr. Foster and his McKinsey colleagues collected detailed performance data stretching back 40 years for 1,000 U.S. companies. They found that NONE of the long-term survivors managed to outperform the market. Worse, the longer companies had been in the database, the worse they did.” —Financial Times

THE RED CARPET STORE (Joel Resnick/Flemington NJ)

Basement Systems Inc.

Jim’s Mowing Canada Jim’s Mowing UK Jim’s Antennas Jim’s Bookkeeping Jim’s Building Maintenance Jim’s Carpet Cleaning Jim’s Car Cleaning Jim’s Computer Services Jim’s Dog Wash Jim’s Driving School Jim’s Fencing Jim’s Floors Jim’s Painting Jim’s Paving Jim’s Pergolas [gazebos] Jim’s Pool Care Jim’s Pressure Cleaning Jim’s Roofing Jim’s Security Doors Jim’s Trees Jim’s Window Cleaning Jim’s Windscreens Note: Download, free, Jim Penman’s book: What Will They Franchise Next? The Story of Jim’s Group (JIM’S GROUP. 2,500+ FRANCHISEES.)

Where the +201,000 new private-sector jobs came from* … 51% Small firms 41% Medium-sized 8% Big *ADP National Employment Report/March 2011

Retail Superstars: Inside the 25 Best Independent Stores in America —by George Whalin

RETAIL SUPERSTARS: INSIDE THE 25 BEST INDEPENDENT STORES IN AMERICA—George Whalin JUNGLE JIM’S INTERNATIONAL MARKET, FAIRFIELD, OH: “An adventure in ‘shoppertainment,’ begins in the parking lot and goes on to 1,600 cheeses and, yes, 1,400 varieties of hot sauce—not to mention 12,000 wines priced from $8-$ 8,000 a bottle; all this is brought to you by 4,000 vendors. Customers come from every corner of the globe.” BRONNER’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND, FRANKENMUTH, MI, POP 5,000: 98,000-square-foot “shop” features 6,000 Christmas ornaments, 50,000 trims, and anything else you can name pertaining to Christmas.

Lessons [for Everyone] from Retail Superstars! Lessons [for Everyone] from Retail Superstars! 1. Courses/Workshops/Demos/Engagement 2. Instructional guides/material/books 3. Events & Events & Events … 4. Create “Community” of customers 5. Destination 6. Women-as-customer 7. Staff selection/training/retention (FANATICISM) 8. Fanaticism/Execution 9. Design/Atmospherics/Ambience 10. Tableaus/Products-in-use 11. Flow/starts & finishes (Disney-like) 12. 100% orchestrated experience/focus: “Moments of truth” 13. Constant experimentation/Pursue Little BIG Things 14. Social Media/Ongoing conversation with customers 15. Community star 16. Aim high 17. PASSION

MITTELSTAND * ** MITTELSTAND * ** *“agile creatures darting between the legs of the multinational the legs of the multinational monsters” (Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 10.10) monsters” (Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 10.10) **E.g. Goldmann Produktion

“ ‘Commodity’ is a state of mind. ANYTHING can be DRAMATICALLY differentiated.”

“BE THE BEST. IT’S THE ONLY MARKET THAT’S NOT CROWDED.” IT’S THE ONLY MARKET THAT’S NOT CROWDED.” Source: George Whalin, Retail Superstars: Inside the 25 Best Independent Stores in America

“WE ARE CRAZY”

“We are crazy. We should do something when people say it is ‘crazy.’ If people say something is ‘good’, it means someone else is already doing it.” —Hajime Mitarai, Canon

Kevin Roberts’ Credo 1. Ready. Fire! Aim. 2. If it ain’t broke... Break it! 3. Hire crazies. 4. Ask dumb questions. 5. Pursue failure. 6. Lead, follow... or get out of the way! 7. Spread confusion. 8. Ditch your office. 9. Read odd stuff. AVOID MODERATION! Kevin Roberts’ Credo 1. Ready. Fire! Aim. 2. If it ain’t broke... Break it! 3. Hire crazies. 4. Ask dumb questions. 5. Pursue failure. 6. Lead, follow... or get out of the way! 7. Spread confusion. 8. Ditch your office. 9. Read odd stuff. 10. AVOID MODERATION!

Innovation Index: How many of your “Top Five Projects” score eight or higher (out of 10) on a “Weird”/ “Profound”/ “WOW”/“Game-changer” Scale? WOW-ification Index: Move every project (definition) that scores six or less two notches up on the or less two notches up on the “WOW-ification Scale” within the next two weeks. If your principal current project scores six or less, bring it up one (or two!) notches by noon on Monday.* (*This tweet was written on a Sunday.)

“Insanely great” —Steve Jobs “Radically thrilling” —BMW “ Astonish me!” —Sergei Diaghilev “Build something great!” —Hiroshi Yamauchi/CEO Nintendo, to a game designer “Make it immortal!” —David Ogilvy, to an ad copywriter “You know a design is good when you want to lick it.” —Steve Jobs Raise your sights! Blaze new trails! Compete with the immortals! —David Ogilvy, on Ogilvy & Mather’s corporate culture Wanted by Ogilvy & Mather International: Trumpeter Swans —David Ogilvy “ Every project we undertake starts with the same question: ‘How can we do what has never been done before?’” —Stuart Hornery, Lend Lease “Let us create such a building that future generations will take us for lunatics.” —the church hierarchs at Seville “We are crazy. We should do something when people say it is ‘crazy.’ If people say something is ‘good,’ it means someone else is already doing it.” —Hajime Mitarai, former CEO, Canon Kevin Roberts’ Credo 1. Ready. Fire! Aim. 2. If it ain’t broke... Break it! 3. Hire crazies. 4. Ask dumb questions. 5. Pursue failure. 6. Lead, follow... or get out of the way! 7. Spread confusion. 8. Ditch your office. 9. Read odd stuff. 10. Avoid moderation! “You can’t behave in a calm, rational manner. You’ve got to be out there on the lunatic fringe.” —Jack Welch Note: TWO Americans; EIGHT non-Americans (Kiwi, Aussie, Scotsman, 2 Japanese, Russian, German, Spaniard)

This Is the [OBVIOUS] Stuff I Care About. Stuff I Care About. This Is the [OBVIOUS] Stuff, the Absence of Stuff, the Absence of Which Sends Me Into a … Which Sends Me Into a … BLIND RAGE. BLIND RAGE. Tom Peters/11 April 2014

The 27 BFOs* *Blinding Flash(es) of the Obvious

BFO #1: If you [RELIGIOUSLY] help people— EVERY SINGLE PERSON, JUNIOR OR SENIOR, LIFER OR TEMP —grow and reach/exceed their perceived potential, then they in turn will bust their individual and collective butts to create great experiences for Clients—and the “bottom line” will get fatter and fatter and fatter. (ANYBODY LISTENING?) (PEOPLE FIRST = MAXIMIZED PROFITABILITY. PERIOD.) (ANYBODY LISTENING?) (FYI: “People FIRST” message 10X more urgent than ever in the high-engagement “AGE OF SOCIAL BUSINESS.”)

BFO 2: ENABLING “ALL HANDS” GROWTH/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IS LEADER DUTY #1. (And ALL good things flow there from.) BFO 3: The “CTO”/Chief Training Officer should [MUST!] be on a par with the CFO/CMO. (In a 45-minute “tour d’horizon” of the enterprise: GUARANTEE 9 of 10 CEOs* [*10 of 10?] wouldn’t once mention training. THAT = DISGRACE.)

BFO 2: ENABLING “ALL HANDS” GROWTH IS LEADER DUTY #1. (And ALL good things flow there from.) BFO 3: The “CTO”/Chief Training Officer should [MUST!] be on a par with the CFO/CMO. (In a 45- minute “tour d’horizon” of the enterprise: GUARANTEE 9 of 10 CEOs* [*10 of 10?] wouldn’t once mention training. THAT = DISGRACE.) BFO 4: OUT-READ ‘EM. AGE 17. AGE 77. 2014: READ & GROW … or wilt. (One financial services superstar pegs CEO prob #1: “They don’t read enough.”) STUDENTHOOOD [OBSESSION THERE WITH] [for ALL of us] FOR LIFE! BFO 5: Organizations exist for ONE reason … TO BE OF SERVICE. PERIOD. (And effective leaders in turn are … SERVANT LEADERS. PERIOD.)

BFO 6: The … HEART OF THE MATTER [productivity, quality, service, you name it] … is the typically under- attended … FIRST-LINE BOSS. (Your FULL CADRE of 1st-line bosses is arguably … ASSET #1.) BFO 7: WTTMSW. [Whoever Tries The Most Stuff Wins.] WTTMSASTMSUTFW. [Whoever Tries The Most Stuff And Screws The Most Stuff Up The Fastest Wins.] “A Bias For Action”: #1 Success Requisite in 1982. “A Bias For Action”: #1 Success Requisite in 2014. BFO 8: “Fail faster. Succeed sooner.” “Fail. Forward. Fast.” “Fail. Fail again. Fail better.” “REWARD excellent failures. PUNISH mediocre successes.” Book/Farson: “Whoever Makes The Most Mistakes Wins.”

BFO 9: Enabling change: It’s NOT NOT NOT about “vanquishing [ignorant] foes.” It’s ALL ALL ALL about recruiting and nurturing … ALLIES. BFO 10: Year = 220 lunches. WASTE NOT ONE. Cross-functional SNAFUs #1 problem for most orgs. Software … WILL NOT … fix it. ONLY … “Social Stuff” works—e.g., makin’ pals in other functions; lunch = Strategy #1. Goal: XFX/Cross-Functional Excellence … or die trying. BFO 11: Excellence is NOT an “aspiration.” Excellence IS the next 5 minutes. (Or not.)

BFO 12: In Search of Excellence theme song: “Hard is soft. Soft is Hard.” (E.g., Numbers are the “soft stuff”—witness the crash. Solid relationships/ integrity/trust/teamwork = True “hard stuff.”) Strategy is important. Systems are important. CULTURE is … MORE IMPORTANT. (Serious change = Tackling the culture. PERIOD.) (Even “Mr. Analysis,” In his autobiography, Lou Gerstner, IBM turnaround CEO, reluctantly acknowledged culture’s unequivocal primacy in the big-change-game.) BFO 13: Apple’s market cap surpasses ExxonMobil’s. Why? D-E-S-I-G-N. Are YOU obsessed by … DESIGN? (In EVERY nook and EVERY cranny of EVERY tiny or humongous enterprise—and in your own professional affairs.)

BFO 14: WOMEN BUY EVERYTHING. WOMEN ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEADERS. WOMEN ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL INVESTORS. (Does your organization … UNMISTAKABLY … reflect that from stem to stern?) BFO 15: Forget B-I-G. (100% of biggies UNDER-perform long-term.) Instead build national wealth around … “MITTELSTAND” companies— MIDSIZE SUPERSTAR NICHE- /MICRO-NICHE DOMINATORS —in ANY category you can name. (C.f., Germany.) (Battle cry: “Be the best. It’s the only market that’s not crowded.” WHY ELSE BOTHER?)

BFO 16: The problem is RARELY the problem. The lackluster RESPONSE to the problem is invariably the real problem. Answer? Slavishly adhere to these two response commandments: OVERKILL. UNEQUIVOCAL APOLOGY. BFO 17: What do people [most] desire—including thee and me? ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. So: Show your appreciation … BIG TIME/ALL THE TIME. (Track it … RELIGIOUSLY!) (“Acknowledgement” is … THE MOST POWERFUL WORD IN THE LEADER’S VOCABULARY.) BFO 18: The two most powerful words in the English language are? No contest: “THANK YOU.” (ACT ACCORDINGLY—e.g., OBSESSIVELY.)

BFO 19: Have you done your MBWA / Managing By Wandering Around … TODAY? If not, why not? (Hint: There are … ZERO ACCEPTABLE EXCUSES.) BFO 20: Your CALENDAR knows your TRUE priorities. Do YOU? You … ARE … your calendar. Your calendar … NEVER LIES. BFO 21: What is the individual’s/organization’s #1 enduring strategic asset? Easy: ASSET #1 = INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE EXCELLENCE AT … L-I-S-T-E-N-I-N-G. (Listening can be … TAUGHT. Listening PER SE is a … PROFESSION. Are YOU a “stellar professional listener”? THINK ABOUT IT. PLEASE.)

BFO 22: Aim to make EVERY internal and external experience (PRODUCT/ SERVICE/SYSTEM/EMPLOYEE INTERACTION/CUSTOMER INTERACTION/ COMMUNITY INTERACTION) a … WOW! (WOW = WOW. USE THE “W-WORD” PER SE! E.g., Do 4 out of your Top 5 projects score 8 or above on a 10-point “WOW Scale”? If not, get on it: NOW.TODAY. WITHIN THE HOUR.)

BFO 23: While on the topic of … WOW: White collar work is by and large ticketed to fall prey to artificial intelligence/eye-popping algorithms as well as globalization. Stand there and take it on the chin? NO. My answer (1999 book, The Professional Service Firm 50): CONVERT EVERY “DEPARTMENT”/ “UNIT” [AND YOURSELF] INTO A FULL-FLEDGED … “PSF”/PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM … WHOLLY DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE & WOW & ADDING SKYSCRAPING VALUE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS’ [USUALLY INTERNAL CUSTOMERS] ACTIVITIES. Why not? There is no good reason not to proceed in this direction within the fortnight!

BFO 24: EVERY DAY PROVIDES A DOZEN [LITERALLY] LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY ONE OF US. (Every = EVERY. From the most junior—and even the 3-day temp—to the Big Dudes.) GRAB AT LEAST ONE. BFO 25: CIVILITY WORKS. CIVILITY PAYS. E.g.: K = R = P. E.g.: K = R = P. Kindness = Repeat business = Profit. (ONE MORE TIME: “Kindness” is N-O-T “Soft.”)

BFO 26: Most of us/most organizations discount … INTROVERTS. THAT IS A … 1ST ORDER STRATEGIC BLUNDER. [Please read Susan Cain’s book QUIET. It was a no-bull lifechanger for me.] BFO 27: Listen [HARD] to my old D.C. boss, Fred Malek: “EXECUTION IS STRATEGY.” (Execution: That all-important … “LAST 99 PERCENT.”)

Tom Peters’ Re-Imagine EXCELLENCE ! The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council Competitiveness Council Port Louis/16 April 2014 (slides at tompeters.com;

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Tom Peters’ Re-Imagine EXCELLENCE ! The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council Competitiveness Council Port Louis/16 April 2014 (slides at tompeters.com;

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